Blue Devils keep aim on next task

The NCAA Tournament field has been reduced by more than three-fourths, to the 16 teams that remain in contention.

Duke forward Ryan Kelly admits he can feel the proverbial narrowing of the road, can feel the Blue Devils’ progress on that path toward the ultimate destination desired by all.

But mentally, he’s determined not to stray too far outside each individual moment of the collective journey.

“Now, every team believes they really have a chance to win the whole thing,” Kelly said. “And we believe it, too. We’re all working for that one, last game.

“But what you’re trying to do is only worry about who you’re playing next. Just completely stay where you are at each point and focus on that. We’ve got a long way to go, and I think you truly have to believe it.”

What’s next for second-seeded Duke (29-5) is a date with third-seeded Michigan State (27-8) in a Midwest Region semifinal Friday night in Indianapolis.

The Blue Devils are coming off what coach Mike Krzyzewski called his team’s best defensive performance of the season, a 66-50 defeat of Creighton on Sunday night.

Duke, despite foul trouble that impacted its frontline (namely Mason Plumlee and Kelly), limited Creighton to 30.2-percent shooting from the field and star Doug McDermott, the nation’s second-leading scorer, to 0-for-5 shooting from the field in the second half.

The Bluejays, one of college basketball’s most efficient offenses, also misfired on 17 of 19 launches from 3-point range and received just three points from their reserves.

“The biggest thing was defense,” Duke guard Quinn Cook said. “We just wanted to make those guys work. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy.”

And it only figures to get more challenging against rugged Michigan State, led by tough-minded coach Tom Izzo.

“As it should, that’s why this is one of the best tournaments,” Plumlee said.

“We’re not satisfied with just going to the Sweet 16,” Cook said. “We want to go to the Elite Eight after this. We know we’ve got a great Michigan State team to play. It’s going to be a big week of preparation for us.”